Secret compartment billfold



July 4, 1950 o. s. ELLIFF SECRET COMPARTMENT BILLFOLD Filed April 3, 1946 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTORI M- HIS ATTORNEYS.

0/1 4 5' QMTQJW July 4, 1950 o; s. ELLIFF 2514042 SECRET COMPARTMENT BILLFOLD Filed April s, 1946 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 FIG. 6. FIG. 7

HIS ATTORNEYS.

Patented July 4, 1950 2,514,042 SECRET COMPARTMENT BILLFOLD Orla S. Elliif, Joplin, Mo., assignor to The Meeker Company, Inc., Joplin, Mo., a corporation of Missouri Application April 3, 1946, Serial No. 659,295

2 Claims. (01. 15036) This invention relates to billfolds, particularly folded-blank billfolds of the kind having a pocket that extends the full length of the billfold and is open along the top edge thereof and end pockets that open towards the transverse medial fold line of the billfold and overlie each other when the billfold is closed.

The present invention has for its principal objects to devise a billfold of the above type that will provide a readily accessible hidden pocket located in and extending substantially the entire length of the full length pocket, that will provide for concealing all of the locking flaps and stitches of the billfold, that will provide for lateral expansion of the full length pocket and the end pockets along the lower edges of the billfold, and that will provide for simplicity and economy of construction and compactness of design.

The invention consists in the bill fold and in the parts, combinations and arrangements of parts hereinafter described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, which form part of this specification, and wherein like symbols refer to like parts wherever they occur.

Fig. 1 is a plan view of the blank from which a billfold embodying my invention is made,

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the partition member for the full length pocket of the billfold.

Fig. 3 is a plan View of the panel which bridges the space between the two end pockets and is connected to the bottoms thereof.

Fig. 4 is an inner side elevational View of the unfolded billfold.

Fig. 5 is a longitudinal section on the line 5-5 in Fig. 4.

Figs. 6 and 7 are cross sectional views on the lines 66 and 1-1, respectively, in Fig. 4; and

Fig. 8 is a fragmentary perspective view of one of the end portions of the unfolded billfold.

In the accompanying drawings, my invention is shown embodied in a billfold of the kind having a pocket A, which extends the full length of the billfold and is open along the top edge thereof, and end pockets B that open toward the transverse medial fold line of the billfold and overlie each other when the billfold is folded on said fold line.

The present billfold comprises a blank of leather or other flexible material that is shaped to provide an oblong body panel, which forms the outer wvall l of the full length pocket A, and end panels that form the outer walls 2 of the end pockets B. The outer wall I of the full length pocket A has a narrow upper marginal finishing flap 3 that extends from end to end thereof, a small lower marginal finishin flap 4 that is folded over and adhesively secured to the inner face of said wall at the transverse medial fold line thereof, and two lower marginal locking flaps 5 that extend from the finishing flap 4 to the ends of said wall and are notched, as at 6, at their ends to provide lockin tongues I at their free corners.

The outer wall 2 of each end pocket 13 has an upper marginal flap 8 of the same size and shape as said outer wall, and a lower marginal locking flap 9 which is notched, as at [0, to provide looking tongues H at its free corners, the locking flap 9 being of the same size and shape as the locking flaps 5 along the lower margins of the outer wall I of the long pocket A. The upper marginal'flap 8 of the outer wall 2 of each end pocket B has a longitudinal slit [2 along its free margin; and said flap is folded upon the inner face of said wall to form the inner wall of said end pocket. The locking fiap 9 along the lower margin of the outer wall 2 of the end pocket is folded over and adhesively secured to the other face of the folded over inner wall forming flap 8 below the slit 12 therein and the free margin of said locking flap inserted in said slit. The folded end pocket forming portions 2, 8 and 9 are folded over the inner face of the outer wall I, and the adjacent locking flap, 5 alon the lower margin of said outer wall is folded upon the locking flap 9 and its margin also inserted in the slit l2 and adhesively securedto the similarly inserted margin of the locking flap 9 and to the inner face of the inner wall forming flap 8 of the end pocket, the locking tongues at the ends of the two locking flaps extending beyond the ends of the slit I2 and thus preventing said locking flaps from being pulled out of said slit. A liner [3 of paper or other suitable material of the same size and shape of the inner wall forming flap 8 is then adhesively secured flatwise to the inner face thereof and to the inserted margin of the locking flap 9, thereby entirely covering the joint between said flaps.

A panel I4 of leather or other flexible material bridges the space between the two end pockets B and extends into the opposin mouths thereof where it terminates in end portions Ma of cloth or other stretchable material that are permanently secured at their ends by stitching I5 to the side edges of the inner wall forming flaps 8 of said end pockets. The end pocket connecting panel l4, together with the inner wall forming flaps 8 of the end pockets B and the lower marginal locking flaps 5 of the outer wall I of the full length pocket A, cooperate to form the inner side wall of said full length pocket whose bottom is closed by said locking flaps except at the spaced adjacent ends thereof and whose ends are closed by the folded over outer side walls 2 of said end pockets.

Located in the full length pocket A is a longitudinal folded partition panel C of leather or other flexible material which extends substantially from end to end of said pocket and is at tached to the upper edge of the outer wall 1 thereof by adhesively securing the upper marginal finishing flap d of said outer wall [to one longitudinal margin of said panel. The remaining portion of the panel C is left free and extends downwardly, as at H, in the pocket A alongside the outer wall thereof to form with said wall a hidden or secret compartment, and thence upwardly, as at 18, between said downwardly extending portion and the inner wall of said pocket to form two upwardly opening compartments. Access may be had to the hidden compartment by grasping the free upper margin of the upwardly folded portion 18 of the partition panel and pulling this portion together with the downwardly folded portion I! of said panel out of the pocket A.

The hereinbefore described billfold constructions have numerous important advantages.

The folded partition panel divides the fulllength pocket of the billfold into a secret compartment and two readily accessible open compartments, all extending the full length of said pocket; and access may be had to said hidden compartment merely by pulling the folded panel out of said pocket. The locking flaps and the lower longitudinal edges of the end pockets form with the inner walls of said pockets bellows folds which permit lateral expansion of the full length pocket and the end pockets; and all of the interlocking joints are completely concealed and thus greatly improve the appearance of the billfold. The interlocking joints also provide strong and durable connections and are protected from wear.

Obviously the hereinbefore billfold constructions admit of considerable modification without departing from the invention. Therefore, I do not wish to be limited to the precise arrangements shown and described.

What I claim is:

1. In a billfold having a full length pocket opening along the upper edge thereof and two end pockets that open towards each other in the unfolded position of said billfold and overlie each other in the folded position of said billfold, said billfold including a panel forming the outer side wall of said full length pocket and having end extensions folded to form the inner and outer side walls of said end pockets and portions of the inner sidewall of said full length pocket, said panel having lower marginal flaps that extend upwardly between said panel and said inner side walls of said end pockets and are secured thereto above'the lower side edges thereof and form bottom portions of said full length pocket andbellows fold connections between the lower margin of said panel and the corresponding margins of said inner side walls of said end pockets.

2. In a billfold having a full length pocket opening along the upper edge thereof, said billfold including a separate flexible partition panel secured along the upper margin to the inner'face of one side wall of said pocket along'the opening thereof, the opposite margin of said partition panel being left free, whereby saidv panel is adapted to be'folded downwardly into said pocket along said side of said wall to form therewith a hidden compartment and thence folded upwardly in said pocket to' form thereintwo upwardly opening compartments, one betweenthe downwardly and upwardly folded portions of said panel and one between the free upwardly folded portion thereof and the other side wall of said pocket.

ORLA S; ELLIFF.

REFERENCES orrnn The zfollowing references are of record in the fileiof this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,964,461 Gardner June 26, 1934 1,972,295 Gardner .Sept. 4, 1934 2,182,867 Gardner Dec. 12, 1939 2,186,650 Mueller Jan. 9, 1940 2,187,375 Florin Jan. 16,1940 2,271,787 Wege Feb: 3, 1942 2,291,259 Sherwood July 28, 1942 2,331,802 Rosenkrontz Oct. 12, 1943 2,416,026 Sherwood Feb. 18, 19.47 

